Spatial distribution and local integration of migrants in Ireland

Daniel Capistrano, Evan Carron-Kee, Lúcás Rohan et al.

October 2025

Intro

Objectives

  • Geographical distribution of migrants in Ireland

  • Characteristics of the communities where migrants live

  • Residential segregation across neighbourhoods

  • Factors associated with residential segregation

Context

Literature - Spatial distribution and integration

Literature - Correlates of spatial integration (attitudes)

Literature - Correlates of spatial integration (housing)

Previous report

  • Small decrease in foreign-born segregation between 2011 and 2016.

  • We might expect greater residential clustering among more tightly defined groups that share linguistic or cultural characteristics.

Structure

  • Chapter 1: Literature review
  • Chapter 2: Geographical distribution and segregation
  • Chapter 3: Characteristics of local communities
  • Chapter 4: Policy context and implications

Methods

Data sources

  • CSO SAPS 2016 and 2022;
  • Small Area frequencies by country of birth
  • IPAS centres occupancy 2021-2025
  • Auxiliary data (e.g. HSE Service Dir., School register, Garda stations)
  • Semi-structured interviews and focus group

Data analysis

  1. LEA-level visualisations
  2. Descriptive analyses of size and change by CoB
  3. Indices: Dissimilarity, Isolation, and Diversity
  4. Regression Analyses of 3 and 4
  5. Thematic analysis of qualitative data

Results

C2: Proportion of foreign-born

C2: Eurostat 1km grid

C2: CSO Small Areas

Dissimilarity Index

Initial conclusions

  • Segregation.

  • Data

  • Policy

Next steps

Ager, Alastair, and Alison Strang. 2008. “Understanding Integration: A Conceptual Framework,” June. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fen016.
Borkowska, Magda, and James Laurence. 2025. “The Role of Ethnic Diversity and Residential Segregation in Shaping Anti-Immigrant Sentiment and Support for Brexit.” Political Studies 73 (2): 457–83. https://doi.org/10.1177/00323217241261748.
Fahey, Éamonn, Helen Russell, Frances McGinnity, Raffaele Grotti, and ESRI. 2019. “Diverse Neighbourhoods: An Analysis of the Residential Distribution of Immigrants in Ireland.” ESRI. https://doi.org/10.26504/bkmnext376.
Gilmartin, Mary, and Jennifer Dagg. 2021. “Spatializing Immigrant Integration Outcomes.” Population, Space and Place 27 (2): e2390. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.2390.
Heath, Anthony F., and Silke L. Schneider. 2021. “Dimensions of Migrant Integration in Western Europe.” Frontiers in Sociology 6 (April): 510987. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2021.510987.
Laurence, James, Frances McGinnity, and Keire Murphy. 2025. “Community-Level Drivers of Attitudes Towards Immigration in Ireland.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 51 (11): 2891–2918. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2025.2487198.
Lima, Valesca. 2025. “Housing Challenges and Needs of Migrants in Ireland.” Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.14905504.
McGinnity, Frances, Evan Carron-Kee, Anousheh Alamir, Ciára Dalton, Merike Darmody, Garance Hingre, Keire Murphy, and Emma Quinn. 2024. “Monitoring Report on Integration 2024.” ESRI. https://doi.org/10.26504/jr11.
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Zhou, Shelly, Elizabeth Page-Gould, Arthur Aron, Anne Moyer, and Miles Hewstone. 2019. “The Extended Contact Hypothesis: A Meta-Analysis on 20 Years of Research.” Personality and Social Psychology Review 23 (2): 132–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868318762647.